Decision No. 24/2002/QD-TTg dated January 31, 2002 of the Prime Minister ratifying the overall planning on socio-economic development of Thanh Hoa province in the 2001-2010 period (readjusted)

DECISION

RATIFYING THE OVERALL PLANNING ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THANH HOA PROVINCE IN THE 2001-2010 PERIOD (READJUSTED)

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government of December 25, 2001;

At the proposal of the President of the People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa province in Report No. 3108/UB-TCTN of November 14, 2001;

At the proposal of the Minister of Planning and Investment in Official Dispatch No. 8354/BKH/VPDT of December 10, 2001,

DECIDES:

Article 1.-To ratify the Overall Planning on socio-economic development of Thanh Hoa province in the 2001-2010 period (readjusted) with the following main contents:

1. Development orientation and objective:

a/ Development orientation:

-To continue pushing ahead the renovation, to accelerate the economic restructuring along the industrialization and modernization direction and to form the industry-service-agriculture economic structure.

- To increase the development speed in all fields with the aim of achieving an annual growth rate higher than the average in the whole country in order to gradually narrow the gap compared to the whole country.

- To associate the economic restructuring with raising efficiency and competitiveness; to priotize the development of the branches and fields with advantageous potentials in order to meet the needs of the market; to take the initiative together with the whole country in integrating into the economy of the region and the world.

- To build the system of towns and industrial zones into economic centers functioning as nucleus for promoting development of the rural areas in the province.

-To pay adequate attention to the rural areas, the midland and mountainous areas which are still meeting with many difficulties.

- To associate economic growth with raising the living standard of the population; to protect the environment; to create jobs for the working people; to develop human resources, to highten the intellectual standard of the people and to forge talents. To closely associate socio-economic development with strengthening and consolidating national defense and security, to firmly maintain political stability.

b/ Development targets:

The overall objective of socio-economic development of the province in the period 2001-2010 is:

- To strive to catch up with the average level of the whole country. By 2010, the GDP of the province shall be 2.6 to 2.8 times that in 2000, represented in the following main targets:

+ Average GDP growth rate of the province in the 2001-2010 period shall be 10.5% and higher (13-15% in the former plan).

+ Economic restructuring (in %):

+ Per capita GDP: Former plan: 1,000-1,200 USD; readjusted plan: 460 USD in 2005; 750 USD in 2010.

+ To strongly develop economic relations with foreign countries, to expand the export market; to strive to get 160 million USD in export value by 2005 and 300 million USD by 2010.

+ To reduce the population growth rate to below 1%/year (1.7% in former plan).

+ To effect changes in culture and social affairs, to quickly develop education and training, healthcare, physical training and sport in order to improve a step further the material and spiritual life of the population, to ensure a safe and healthy social environment; and to protect the natural environment.

- To raise the capacity in science and technology able to meet the needs of industrialization and modernization; to apply advanced technologies and step by step catch up with the regional and international levels.

- To develop the infrastructure in order to meet the needs of large-scale investment projects in the province, at the same time to actively contribute to the development strategy of the branches and regions throughout the country.

2. Main tasks:

a/ On development of agriculture, forestry and fisheries:

- To strive to achieve the average GDP growth rate of 5.0-5.5% in the 2001-2010 period. To restructure the rural economy from pure agriculture to agriculture- industry- service economy. To focus on producing merchandise farming products according to groups of merchandises and groups of products on the basis of farming produce market supply and demand forecasts in the country, the region and the world; to actively apply science and technology to reduce the cost, raise the quality and competitiveness of goods.

+ To carry out highly intensive farming on the watered ricefields. To strive to achieve the stable target of 1.5 million tons of food from 2005 on.

+ To stabilize the sugarcane fields at 30,000 hectares, to carry out intensive planting of sugarcane in order to raise their productivity, to ensure enough raw material for the sugar plants.

+ To tend the existing 7,800 hectares of rubber trees and to form a material rubber tree area of 11,000 hectares by 2010 with an output of 10,000-12,000 tons of dry latex.

+ To stabilize the existing tea area and readjust this area according to the State program when conditions permit.

+ To build a pineapple area of 5,000 hectares with an output of about 300,000 tons/year, a cassava area of 4,000 hectares with an output of more than 100,000 tons/year in order to assure annual supply of raw materials for export processing and consumption. To strongly develop fruit trees in the light of market demand.

+ To expand the area under groundnuts to 20,000-23,000 hectares with an output of about 100,000 tons/year.

+ Jute: 4,000 hectares with an output of 38,000-40,000 tons by 2010.

+ To encourage the expansion of soya and maize by promoting intensive farming, reducing production cost, and raising the value of income per area unit and binding raw material area with development of processing industry.

- Livestock raising: To build a livestock-raising area for meat and milk linked to processing. To raise the ratio of livestock raising in industry sector to 28% by 2005 and to over 30% by 2010.

- Forestry: To develop forestry allsidedly, to exploit production forests through diversification of agriculture and forestry products associated with the processing industry, to build a material area to meet the need of producing 100,000- 160,000 tons of paper and pulp/year.

- Aquatic products: To make allround investment in developing aquaculture, focusing on shrimp farming for export. To invest in material bases and fishing equipment, to raise the efficiency of half-inshore and half-offshore and offshore fishing.

To strive to increase GDP from aquatic products by 10.5-12.0% per year on average and aquatic production to more than 100,000 tons by 2010, of which fisheries will account for 65,000-70,000 tons, aquaculture for 35,000 tons, material shrimp for 10,500 tons. To raise the export value from this branch to more than 50 million USD and provide jobs for 70,000 laborers.

b/ Industrial development:

Industry must strive for a pre-eminent position in the economic structure as well as the labor structure through industrialization and modernization. To strive to achieve the average industrial GDP growth rate of 16.5-20% per year in the 2001-2010 period.

- From 2001 to 2005: To concentrate on investment in developing petrochemistry including: the Oil Refinery No. 2 with a capacity of 7 million tons/year, the Polyester Plant with a capacity of 200,000 tons/year, the Polypropylene Plant with a capacity of 150,000 tons/year, the paper and pulp industry, the Detergent Combine Plant (LAP) with a capacity of 50,000 tons/year; to develop the construction material industry, the industry processing farming, forestry and aquatic products; to consolidate and develop the ship building and repair industry, the production of farming implements, the labor-intensive industries such as textiles, garment, leather footwear; to restore the traditional silk weaving...; to reorganize State-owned enterprises, to renovate equipment and technologies aimed at raising the quality of products and expanding production; at the same time to quickly develop the medium-and small-sized industrial establishments in the countryside in order to contribute to industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

Main products: Cement, over 4 million tons; sugar, 220,000 tons; paper and pulp, 70,000-80,000 tons; maize and cassava starch, coffee, rubber, pineapple juice and condensed tomato juice; seafood, 17,000-18,000 tons, including 3,000 tons of frozen shrimp, 5,000 tons of frozen meat, 1,500-2,000 tons of fishmeal and fish liver oil.

To continue investing in the industrial zones, first of all industrial parks. To give priority to the construction of the infrastructural works including roads, ports, electricity, water, urban services; to train personnel in Nghi Son in service of the construction of the Petrochemical Refinery No. 2 and the Industrial Complex on the planned area.

- From 2006 to 2010: To put the petrochemical industry into operation; to raise the capacity of the industries susceptible of quick development, like: cement 6-7 million tons; ashlars: 1.5-2 million m2; to process timber and bamboo, to raise the paper and pulp output to 100,000-160,000 tons, sugar to 300,000 tons, maize starch for export to 30,000-50,000 tons, cassava starch to 30,000 tons, coffee to 10,000 tons, rubber to 4,000-10,000 tons, frozen seafood to 10,000 tons, including 5,000 tons of frozen shrimp, frozen meat and piglets; fertilizers to 250,000 tons, rolled steel to 100,000 tons. To build a weaving-dyeing complex, a micro-organic phosphorous fertilizer plant, construction plastic material and fire-proof material plants at Le Mon Industrial Park, a compound fertilizer (DAP) factory, a thermal power plant, a steel plant, a concrete structure plant; to build and repair ships and boats, a plant for mechanical assembly... at Nghi Son Industrial Park.

c/ Development of the service sector:

To strive for an annual growth rate of 9.0%-11.0% of the service sector in the 2001-2010 period in order to contribute to the redistribution of labor in different economic branches in the province.

- Trade: To promote activities in the search of markets for exports of the province. To strive for an increase by an average of 25%-30% for social goods circulation and by 24%-26%/year for export value in the 2001-2010 period.

- Tourism: To draw up the tourist plan of the province in line with the national program on tourism development; to give priority to investment in the tourist areas of Ham Rong, Sam Son, Lam Kinh and the Ho dynasty Citadel.

- To restructure the transport service; to restore and develop water transport, to actively broaden goods circulation between Thanh Hoa and the other provinces across the country, the other countries in the region and the world; to develop the sea and river port services, to exploit efficiently the deep-water port of Nghi Son and Le Mon port.

- To strongly develop the post and telecommunications network using modern technology. To continue developing strongly the area post offices associated with the emergence of Industrial and Service Parks and the new economic zones of the province. By 2005, 100% of the communes shall have telephones, with 1.82 sets per 100 inhabitants, and by 2010, 7.5 sets per 100 inhabitants, to ensure that newspapers regularly reach the deep-lying and remote communes.

- To develop quickly various forms of financial and banking service, consultancy, information technology, and technical service, to strongly develop the capital market, especially in the countryside.

d/ Building of the infrastructure:

-Urban areas: To give priority to building the infrastructure of the Thanh Hoa city so that it can reach the status of Class II cities by 2005; to build the infrastructure of the new urban areas in Nghi Son, Thach Thanh, Muc Son... according to plan; to improve the infrastructure of the towns, townships and district towns so that by 2010 the province shall have an urban population of more than one million, achieving an urbanization percentage of 25%-33%.

- Communications: To quickly upgrade the North-South arteries. To priotize investment in upgrading the main arteries to the West of the province, the roads in the industrial parks and the material areas. To lay asphalt or concrete on the main arteries (100% of the plain districts and 50% of the mountainous districts), to complete construction of the remaining bridges under plan across major rivers, 100% of the communes shall have motor roads up to their centers. To build ports and dredge the main waterways, to continue upgrading Le Mon port and Nghi Son deep-water port. To build a civilian aiport when necessary.

- Water conservancy: To build Cua Dat dam reservoir, the Len river dam, with the main aim of relieving water logging in a number of large areas. At the same time, to complete the irrigation system, to solidify the canals, to broaden the irrigated areas for a number of industrial crops, to prioritize irrigation for aquaculture. To regularly reinforce and strengthen break-water dikes and piers.

- Water supply and drainage and environmental sanitation: To build a system of clean water supply for the population and development of various socio-economic sectors. To strive that by 2010, 90% of the rural population and 100% of the urban population shall be supplied with clean water, nearly all urban centers shall have a water supply and drainage system. Thanh Hoa city in particular shall reach the target of 120-130 liters of clean water/person/day-night. To treat industrial and urban waste water before discharging it into rivers and the sea.

- Electricity: To build 110 kV stations according to the plan already endorsed by the Ministry of Industry. To transmit electricity to the mountainous districts, to improve the electric grid in the urban areas with priority given to Thanh Hoa city, Sam Son town, the Nghi Son urban area, the industrial parks, and populated areas. To achieve an annual average growth of 13-15% of commercial electricity, to raise per/capita electricity consumption to 359 kWh/year by 2005 and 800 kWh/year by 2010.

- Social and cultural infrastructure: To build Hong Duc University with the same status as the other universities in the country; to build Institutes or Sub-institutes and centers for science and technology research (bio-technology, information technology), vocational and job-training schools, general education schools and pre-schools. To upgrade provincial level hospitals, and district health centers especially regional health centers; to strengthen the material bases of the communal health stations, and physical training and sport centers. To embellish cultural and historical relics such as Lam Kinh, the Ho dynasty Citadel, and places of scenic beauty such as Ben En and Tu Thuc Grotto.

e/ Cultural and social development:

- To promote socialization of cultural and social activities, step by step effect a change in culture, education, training, healthcare and social affairs in order to further improve the material and spiritual life of the population.

- To reduce the annual birth rate by 0.4-0.5 per mille. To increase investment in material bases for family planning, for the protection of the health of mothers and children, and for medical examinations and treatment. More concretely: To upgrade and modernize the provincial Polyclinic, to build Ngoc Lac regional hospital in service of eight mountainous districts in the western part of the province; to build a pediatric hospital, to transform, upgrade and strengthen the medical examination and treatment equipment in the provincial and district hospitals.

- Regarding education: To achieve and over-achieve the national targets, creating a fundamental and overall change in education. To complete the universalization of basic secondary education at 100% of the communes by 2007. To strengthen the material bases and equipment for teaching and learning, to basically complete investment in solidifying the primary, basic secondary schools and pre-schools.

- Regarding training: To consolidate university training, to set up research, institutes or sub-institutes, to broaden the system of colleges. To strongly promote job-training, to bring the rate of trained labor to 30%-35% by 2010. To reduce the unemployment rate in the urban areas to under 4%, to increase the time used by rural labor to 80%, to create new jobs for 35,000-40,000 persons per year.

- To improve and raise the living standard of the population, to strive that by 2010 there will be no more hungry family and only 7%-8% of poor households (according to new criteria); there will be no more poor commune, 100% of the communes will have their essential infrastructure, and the per capita healthcare norms shall reach the average level of the whole country.

- To improve quality of activities in culture, physical training and sports, information and propagation, to preserve and develop the traditional cultural identity of the ethnic groups in the province. To build each year 300 new cultured villages so that by 2010 there will be 4,000 cultured villages and 90% of the households will attain the criteria of cultured family. To build new and repair and upgrade a number of key cultural projects.

- To invest in strengthening the capacity and raise the quality and increase the time of radio and television broadcasting so that by 2010 95% of the population will have access to television and 100% will be covered by the radio network.

f/ Development of the territorial areas:

- Coastal areas: To develop allsidedly the marine economy; to carry out concentrated fishing, in aquaculture to focus on intensive and semi-intensive shrimp farming and processing for export. To build areas for rice, groundnut, jute, rush, vegetable and fruit growing... To develop pig and poultry breeding. To build Nghi Son - Tinh Gia industrial park (for oil refinery, cement, construction materials, port services, sea food processing, ship building and repair). To exploit the deep-water port, to intensify investment in the system of infrastructures for the new urban center of Nghi Son and the infrastructure in aquaculture areas. To strongly develop cottage industries and handicrafts, services, trade and tourism.

- In the midland and mountainous areas: To develop allsidedly the mountainous areas economically and socially. To gradually narrow the gap in socio-economic development compared with the areas in the plain. To give priority to developing the raw material area for the paper industry linked with the protection of headwater forests and protection forests, to raise the efficiency of the program of planting 5 million hectares of forests. To concentrate investment on building processing establishments for sugar cane, vegetables, fruits, confectioneries and forestry products associated with the building of specialized areas for tree and animals, rubber, fruit tree, cinnamon, bamboo, sticklac, tea, cassava, pineapple. To strongly develop the farm economy and create concentrated and stable raw material sources to supply the processing establishments.

To exploit and process construction materials such as lime, sand, pebble, marble. To concentrate on developing the infrastructure, to give priority to the expansion and upgrading of the communication network, electricity, clean water... To promote goods trading and exchange activities. To carry out well the social policies to raise the cultural and living standard of the population, especially in the areas inhabited by ethnic minorities.

- In the plain: To concentrate on retructuring the agricultural and rural economy along the direction of industrialization aimed at raising economic efficiency and providing jobs for laborers.

To increase investment in building areas of high yield rice, sugar cane, tobacco, fruit trees, pig and poultry raising, milch cows... associated with processing. At the same time, to strongly develop the industrial parks of Le Mon, Bim Son-Thach Thanh, Muc Son-Lam Son, to develop trade, tourism and other services.

Article 2.-The People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa province has the tasks of:

- Assuming the prime responsibility and with the assistance of the concerned ministries and branches studying and elaborating socio-economic development programs in the 2001-2010 period, making detailed plans, formulating target programs and investment projects conforming with the plans already ratified by the competent authorities, at the same time proposing solutions to best exploit the resources and step up the development of the province.

- Studying and proposing to the Prime Minister the issuance of concrete mechanisms and policies suitable with the conditions of the province, in order to encourage the economic sectors to invest in production, search for and expand the market, develop the human resources, and protect the environment for the realization of the set targets for socio- economic development.

- Renovating the organization and management and promoting administrative reforms in order to create an environment favorable for attracting domestic and foreign investment.

- Directing concentrated investment in key domains with a view to achieving quick and efficient results; priotizing investment in building the technical and social infrastructures, creating conditions for developing a number of spearhead economic branches of the province.

Article 3.-The ministries and central branches shall have to join Thanh Hoa province in organizing the implementation of this overall planning with a view to achieving the set targets. The economic, technical and social development plans of the ministries and branches shall have to be concretized on the territory of the province through plans and target programs as well as concrete draft investment projects in each period. In the process of implementation, the president of the People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa province shall have to monitor and coordinate activities in order to take timely readjustment measures.

Article 4.-This Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing. The president of the People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa province, the ministers, the heads of ministerial-level agencies, and the heads of the agencies attached to the Government shall have to implement this Decision.